N C Tony:

You are lucky enough to be attending what will likely be the last Keeneland meet where racing will be conducted over a "natural" dirt surface. Maybe after you drain your last drink on your last day there you could scoop up a cupfull of Keeneland main track-- it could be a collectible one day.

Racing from Turfway was on the OTB network Wednesday. These were the first Polytrack races I saw in broad daylight. Those horses sure "kick up a little dust" as Maria Muldaur might say. I didn't notice if the riders were masked, but all that was missing was the f-----g stagecoach and the f-----g chuckwagon.

Some would call Lexington the cradle of American racing. I guess its like putting Astroturf in Yankee Stadium or Fenway or Wrigley. (Speaking of baseball, Billy Wagner did a great Armando Benitez imitation at Shea tonight) It won't be that long before we have our first Polytrack Kentucky Derby sponsored by Yum Brands and Bobphilo@yahoo.com.

I am not unaware of the soundness issues, but I believe overtraining causes a lot of the muscular/skeletal deterioration which eventually leads to breakdown. After an animal has reached racing fitness, why send it to the track day after day to fight with a heavy (and sometimes heavy handed) exercise rider?

I believe that part of the reason that we will unfortunately see more and more Polytrack installations is that the art/ science of track maintenance is a lost art, and there are not many gifted track supers out there who can maintain a racing surface which is safe and consistent.

Racing is one of the great outdoor sports, like soccer and football, that is meant to be conducted under even the most adverse conditions. For racing this means that we have had years and years of racing over off tracks. Its part of the lore, so to speak, and almost every NY racing fan of a certain age will never forget Conquistador Cielo's Belmont or Forego's brave win in the 1976 Marlboro Cup.

So I guess add Polytrack to Frank Stronach as things it will take a long time for me to get used to. I don't think our host TGJB should have any problem with Polytrack-- he's already seen f-----g camels ridden by f-----g robots.